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Our arrival in Oost Vlieland last evening was just fantastic with the lovely newish marina just for visitors, plenty of space to move and almost empty bar a flotilla of beautiful Dutch motor yachts in varying shapes and all in pristine condition.
After suitable renditions of "Happy Birthday" to the aging crew, we left this lovely spot, with campers in the woods nearby, having met a CA member we chatted with at the Baltic seminar in London in February, and headed out into an increasing lumpy sea. By the time we were able to shape an north-easterly course we had travelled about 8 miles in the wrong direction to get around the sandbanks in the seegat (gap between the island).
We had a tough motor in windless conditions but the day old remnants of five days of storms had left a 2m wave pattern which was both uncomfortable and tiring. Pressing on it hardly eased until well inside the island of Borkum, our first port in Germany. We couldn't use the yacht harbour as it has silted up and have been forced into the larger commercial harbour where we are now moored against a huge dilapidated pontoon, one of six, once used to moor U-Boats. It is a grim place but we knew it would be and there is no choice!
The sun shone all day but it was cool, but the bright sky was a joy as always.
Close by we have three Dutch boats with friendly and helpful people on board, one of whom was moored next to "October" under her previous ownership - tis a small world (unless you are trying to sail across a little bit of it - and then it's a big one!)
75 nm today in 10 hours.
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